THE PLAYING CARDS IN YOUR LIFE:
The Wisdom of the Ages in Symbolic Form

THE PLAYING CARDS IN YOUR LIFE:
The Wisdom of the Ages in Symbolic Form

...Authors who have written about the metaphysical meanings of the playing cards claim that there's a
card associated with every day of the year...Those born on "King" days feel they were born to rule. "Aces" frequently become dictators...And most incredible of all, every year of your life may be already "laid out in the cards" for you to examine if you know where to look...

Combining astrology, numerology, and printed 52-card spreads of ordinary playing cards--one for each year of your life--the system reportedly shows the trends and possibilities for marriage, divorce, sudden fame, money, and even sickness or death. It's also valuable as an adjunct to astrology, especially to discover compatibility between two persons.

Does it really work? Consider some random instances that afficionados have pointed out:

...Marilyn Monroe died in the 52-day period of her card spread that contained the Ace of Spades--traditional symbol for death and mystery.

...When Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis became First Lady, her birthdate card--the King of Hearts--was at the very top of her yearly spread. Fame often comes at such a time, it's reported.

...Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton when the Four of Hearts was in the Venus position on her yearly card spread. This is the strongest indication of a love match and marriage.

I was first introduced to the special meaning of the playing cards in 1979. An astrological client brought to her consultation a large blue book full of unusual information. It was a copy of astrologer Edith Randall's book Sacred Symbols of the Ancients. My client was so enthusiastic about the "card system" that she wanted to share it with me.

This book really amazes me," she said, opening the large blue volume to a colorful illustration of the playing cards laid out in a 52-card pattern. "This is my card here," she said, pointing to the Five of Spades.

"What do you mean, your card?"
"Every day of the year has a card. The card for my birthday is the Five of Spades. And look, here around my card on the Life Spread, all the cards of the people close to me. Here's my boyfriend; here's my sister. It's incredible."

She helped me find my card, the 6 of Clubs. My ex-husband's card, the 2 of Clubs, was in the line directly above mine. A few of the other people currently in my life also showed up in strong relationship to my card. I was intrigued enough to go out and buy that very mystical-sounding book,Sacred Symbols of the Ancients, by astrologer Edith Randall.

According to Randall, the playing cards we still use did not originate in medieval times and they had not come into being merely for games and wagering. Instead, the cards were much more ancient and actually held "the wisdom of the ages" in symbolic form. They had been made colorful and associated with games so that their perpetuation would be assured.

Over the years, Randall had taught hundreds of students in Los Angeles about the subject, and shared her information on the meanings of each card in her 1947 book. I was impressed by the spiritual nature of her approach.

But it was not until I was introduced to Arne Lein's book on the cards in 1980 that I really became interested in the card system, which he called Metasymbology. Arne had been a student of Edith Randall years before and had recently published a huge volume of his own about the cards which included information not in print until then. His book became immensely popular, but unfortunately due to his death and problems with his estate, his book has not since been republished.

As a student, colleague and friend of Arne's from my first introduction to his book until his untimely death in 1989, I would like to share here some of what I learned about the cards and their usefulness as an adjunct to astrology in delineating character traits, investigating compatibility, and helping to understand yourself and the people in your life.
I've already presented information on compatibility of the cards with cities in my book on locational astrology, Moving to Success(Llewellyn Publications, 1999). But there is much more.

As you read further, you will certainly want to know your own birthday card and perhaps those of others in your life too--and their general compatibility with yours. So find your card now on the following list of dates.

What does your card tell you about your own personality. In general, Hearts represent love or emotion; Clubs, knowledge; Diamonds, money or values, and Spades, work or higher wisdom. The card number adds a numerological meaning, while your Sun sign adds a further individualization.

The Diamond suit, representing money or values, provides an excellent example of how the cards work. "Diamond Jim" Brady, known for his extravagant way of living, was a Leo Ace of Diamonds, born August 12; Jack Benny, whose comic routines centered so much on money, was an Aquarius Jack of Diamonds, born Feb.14.
The 8's and Kings of Diamonds are among the most fortunate Diamonds.

As far as the numbers go, if you're a King, Queen or Jack of any suit, you have an aura of royalty or command about you like Abraham Lincoln or Queen Elizabeth II. If you're a Two of any suit, you need a partner, whether for emotional, mental, financial or work purposes. Three's love a crowd, the more social the better. Fours are the builders, five the roamers and those who love change. Sixes are responsible, dependable, and often bring higher wisdom to mankind. The Seven of any suit tends to be mystical, artistic, reclusive, and often above material concerns. Eights are the Power Cards--Hearts through love and charm; Clubs through the power of the mind; Diamonds through money and values, and Spades, through work and wisdom.

A large-scale universal outlook characterizes the Nines of any suit, and the Tens are the easy-come, easy-go success cards, but because of this ease,may not always live up to their potential. The Joker can choose to operate as the Ace of Hearts or the King of Spades.

There's much more to the cards that can't be covered in an article like this. Most interesting usually to those just getting acquainted with the cards is to find the compatibility potential of the people you meet. Look at the diagram above labeled The Life Spread. If a card is next to yours, on either side, vertically, or diagonally, these people are more likely to be in your life--and to be compatible if they are. These are your Mercury cards; there's a potential for good communication here. The second card from yours in any direction is your Venus card; these are often people you may feel affection for or enjoy socially; the cards third in order from yours horizontally, vertically, or diagonally represent the qualities of Mars to you and may stimulate you into action or anger, depending on the suite of the card. One of the happiest couples I ever knew were ideally matched Heart cards--the Jack and 2 of Hearts. Your Jupiter card--fourth from your card in any direction--is generally lucky for you. Your Saturn card--fifth from your card in any direction--can be restrictive or as steady as a rock, just like Saturn itself. Once you know the system better, you can also look for your Uranus and Neptune cards, plus your Challenge and Result. One little hint: if you come to the end of a line, stop. You may not have a card in relation to yours in every direction. Once you know a bit more about the cards, you can find out how to find your own seven-card life spread. But to get started, it's good to explore the different cards in relation to the position of your own card. Good luck and more later...

Additional Instructions on Finding your Own Cards

We started above with the most simple way of using the card of someone you know to see the way you would relate to that person according to the cards. It's actually a bit more complex than described above.
Here are the basic ground rules:
1. Usually read the cards horizontally from right to left from your own card and vertically in an upward direction from your own card. You can also read the cards in direct diagonal direction from your card when looking for relationships cards.
2. When you come to the end of a horizontal row at the left border of the Life Spread, continue reading that spread on the row immediately below, beginning at the right border of the Life Spread.
3. When you arrive at the bottom of the Life Spread chart on the left border at the position of the Queen of Hearts, continue on the top line (the Crown Line) at the position of the Ten of Spades.
4. When reading your vertical cards, read first the card just above yours and continue upwards until you reach the card at the top. Then continue on the card in the same line at the bottom and read upwards again.

More later...

Books to read that can tell you more:
Edith Randall, Sacred Secrets of the Ancients
Arne Lein, What's Your Card
My own book, Moving to Success by Rose Murray
Robert Camp, The Cards of Destiny
Try the used books stores on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, EBay or other on-line bookstores for books that are now out of print.